Supplemental functionalities may be provided for an executable program via an ontology instance. In some embodiments, a computer program (e.g., an executable program or other computer program) associated with an ontology may be caused to be run. The ontology may include information indicating attributes for a set of applications. An instance of the ontology may be obtained, which may correspond to an application of the set of applications. Based on the ontology instance, supplemental information may be generated for the computer program. The supplemental information may be related to one or more functionalities of the application to be added to the executable program. The supplemental information may be provided as input to the computer program. The supplemental information, at least in part, may cause the one or more functionalities of the application to be made available via the executable program.
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1. A method of providing supplemental functionalities to an executable program via an ontology instance, the method being implemented by a computer system comprising one or more processors executing one or more computer program instructions that, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising: causing an executable program associated with an ontology to be run, wherein the ontology comprises information indicating attributes for a set of applications; obtaining a domain-specific ontology, wherein the domain-specific ontology is within a domain of interest; obtaining an instance of the ontology, wherein the ontology instance is derived from the domain-specific ontology and comprises information indicating attributes for an application of the set of applications that is within the domain of interest; assigning a freeze to the ontology that disables further modification to the ontology; extracting axiom information from the frozen ontology; using the axiom information to generate a set of logic rules; using the set of logic rules to transform the ontology instance to generate application metadata for the executable program, wherein the application metadata defines one or more functionalities of the application; using the set of logic rules to validate the ontology instance, wherein the application metadata becomes read-only after the validation; and providing the application metadata as input to the executable program, wherein the application metadata, at least in part, causes the one or more functionalities of the application to be made available via the executable program, the executable program executing the one or more functionalities of the application using the definitions of the one or more functionalities in the application metadata, the executable program comprising a set of runtime rules that do not alter the application metadata.
A computer system enhances an existing program by adding new features through an ontology. The system runs a base program linked to an ontology describing application attributes. It retrieves a domain-specific ontology, then extracts a specific instance relevant to an application within that domain. The ontology is "frozen" to prevent changes, and its rules (axioms) are extracted and converted into logic rules. These rules transform the ontology instance into application metadata, which defines new functionalities for the base program. The rules also validate the metadata, making it read-only. This validated metadata is fed into the running base program, enabling the new application functionalities to be used without modifying the base program's core runtime rules or code.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: obtaining another instance of the ontology, wherein the other ontology instance is derived from the domain-specific ontology and comprises information indicating attributes for another application of the set of applications that is within the domain of interest; using the set of logic rules to transform the other ontology instance to generate other application metadata for the executable program, wherein the other application metadata defines one or more functionalities of the other application; and providing the other application metadata as input to the executable program, wherein the other application metadata, at least in part, causes the other one or more functionalities of the other application be made available via the executable program.
Building upon the previous method of enhancing a program with ontology-driven functionalities, the system can incorporate functionalities from multiple applications. After one application's metadata is integrated (as described in the previous claim), the system retrieves another ontology instance for a *different* application within the same domain. The same set of logic rules is used to transform this new instance into application metadata specific to the second application, defining its unique functionalities. This second set of validated metadata is also provided as input to the base program, enabling the functionalities of *both* applications to be available simultaneously without requiring recompilation of the base program.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more functionalities are made available via the executable program without recompiling the executable program.
Expanding on the system for dynamically adding functionalities using ontologies, the core benefit is that new functionalities, described in the application metadata, are activated and available within the base program without requiring any recompilation of the original base program's executable code. The system provides new capabilities without altering or rebuilding the original software.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executable program is configurable to perform a set of tasks common to a class of business application in each of several different domains of interest.
In the ontology-driven system for adding functionalities, the base program is designed to handle a general class of business applications across various domains. The same base executable is configured using domain-specific ontologies to behave differently and offer features tailored to specific industries or application types.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the executable program obtains the application metadata from working memory at runtime.
The application metadata, which defines the new functionalities, is accessed by the base program from working memory (RAM) during runtime. The base program actively retrieves and utilizes the metadata while the program is executing to dynamically provide the extended functionalities.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: assigning a freeze the domain-specific ontology that disables further modification to the domain-specific ontology.
In the ontology-driven system, the domain-specific ontology itself is "frozen" to prevent further modifications, ensuring consistency and predictability in how applications are enhanced. This freezing step guarantees that the rules extracted from the ontology and the resulting application metadata remain stable.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: extracting class information from the ontology; and using the class information to generate a programming interface, wherein the programming interface allows the executable program to access the application metadata.
In addition to extracting axiom information, the system extracts class information from the ontology and uses this to automatically generate a programming interface (API). This API allows the base program to access and interact with the application metadata, enabling the base program to leverage the defined functionalities.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: extracting axiom information from the domain-specific ontology; and using the axiom information of the domain-specific ontology to generate a set of specific logic rules.
The system extracts axiom information not only from the specific ontology instance but also from the broader domain-specific ontology. This axiom information from the *domain-specific* ontology is used to generate a set of *specific* logic rules, which may be distinct from the rules generated from the instance.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: augmenting the set of logic rules and the set of specific logic rules with the set of runtime rules to enable the one or more functionalities of the application to be available via the executable program.
Combining the logic rules derived from the ontology instance, the specific logic rules from the domain-specific ontology, and the base program's existing runtime rules ensures the newly added functionalities are fully integrated and operational within the base program. The system uses all three sets of rules to enable the new application features.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application metadata includes a data model for encoding metadata and knowledge on the Semantic Web using facts expressed as triples.
The application metadata, containing the definitions of the new functionalities, utilizes a data model suitable for encoding Semantic Web data. It represents metadata and knowledge as facts expressed in triples (subject-predicate-object), allowing for structured and machine-readable representation of the new functionalities.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attributes for the set of applications include at least one class, at least one property, and at least one axiom.
The attributes defined within the ontology for each application include at least one class (a category or type), at least one property (a characteristic or attribute of a class), and at least one axiom (a rule or constraint governing the relationships between classes and properties). These components form the basis for describing application functionalities.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the definitions of the one or more functionalities are represented as triples in the application metadata, the executable program processing the triples representing the definitions of the one or more functionalities to execute the one or more functionalities.
The definitions of the new functionalities within the application metadata are represented as triples. The base program processes these triples, which describe how the functionalities should behave, to execute the new functionalities. The program interprets and acts upon the triple-based definitions.
13. A system for providing supplemental functionalities for an executable program via an ontology instance, the system comprising: a computer system comprising one or more processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to: cause an executable program associated with an ontology to be run, wherein the ontology comprises information indicating attributes for a set of applications; obtain a domain-specific ontology, wherein the domain-specific ontology is within a domain of interest; obtain an instance of the ontology, wherein the ontology instance is derived from the domain-specific ontology and comprises information indicating attributes for an application of the set of applications that is within the domain of interest; assign a freeze to the ontology that disables further modification to the ontology; extract axiom information from the frozen ontology; use the axiom information to generate a set of logic rules; use the set of logic rules to transform the ontology instance to generate application metadata for the executable program, wherein the application metadata defines one or more functionalities of the application; use the set of logic rules to validate the ontology instance, wherein the application metadata becomes read-only after the validation; and provide the application metadata as input to the executable program, wherein the application metadata, at least in part, causes the one or more functionalities of the application be made available via the executable program, the executable program executing the one or more functionalities of the application using the definitions of the one or more functionalities in the application metadata, the executable program comprising a set of runtime rules that do not alter the application metadata.
A computer system enhances an existing program by adding new features through an ontology. The system runs a base program linked to an ontology describing application attributes. It retrieves a domain-specific ontology, then extracts a specific instance relevant to an application within that domain. The ontology is "frozen" to prevent changes, and its rules (axioms) are extracted and converted into logic rules. These rules transform the ontology instance into application metadata, which defines new functionalities for the base program. The rules also validate the metadata, making it read-only. This validated metadata is fed into the running base program, enabling the new application functionalities to be used without modifying the base program's core runtime rules or code.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computer system is further caused to: obtain another instance of the ontology, wherein the other ontology instance is derived from the domain-specific ontology and comprises information indicating attributes for another application of the set of applications that is within the domain of interest; use the set of logic rules to transform the other ontology instance to generate other application metadata for the executable program, wherein the other application metadata defines one or more functionalities of the other application to be; and provide the other application metadata as input to the executable program, wherein the other application metadata, at least in part, causes the one or more functionalities of the other application be made available via the executable program.
Expanding on the system for dynamically adding functionalities using ontologies, the system can incorporate functionalities from multiple applications. After one application's metadata is integrated (as described in the previous claim), the system retrieves another ontology instance for a *different* application within the same domain. The same set of logic rules is used to transform this new instance into application metadata specific to the second application, defining its unique functionalities. This second set of validated metadata is also provided as input to the base program, enabling the functionalities of *both* applications to be available simultaneously.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more functionalities are made available via the executable program without recompiling the executable program.
Expanding on the system for dynamically adding functionalities using ontologies, the core benefit is that new functionalities, described in the application metadata, are activated and available within the base program without requiring any recompilation of the original base program's executable code. The system provides new capabilities without altering or rebuilding the original software.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computer system is further caused to assign a freeze to the domain-specific ontology that disables further modification to the domain-specific ontology.
In the ontology-driven system, the domain-specific ontology itself is "frozen" to prevent further modifications, ensuring consistency and predictability in how applications are enhanced. This freezing step guarantees that the rules extracted from the ontology and the resulting application metadata remain stable.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computer system is further caused to: extract class information from the ontology; and use the class information to generate a programming interface, wherein the programming interface allows the executable program to access the application metadata.
In addition to extracting axiom information, the system extracts class information from the ontology and uses this to automatically generate a programming interface (API). This API allows the base program to access and interact with the application metadata, enabling the base program to leverage the defined functionalities.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the computer system is further caused to: extract axiom information from the domain-specific ontology; and use the axiom information of the domain-specific ontology to generate a set of specific logic rules.
The system extracts axiom information not only from the specific ontology instance but also from the broader domain-specific ontology. This axiom information from the *domain-specific* ontology is used to generate a set of *specific* logic rules, which may be distinct from the rules generated from the instance.
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April 28, 2016
March 7, 2017
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